1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to image processing apparatus and method. For example, the invention relates to image processing apparatus and method for efficiently controlling an image input apparatus such as a scanner or the like and an image output apparatus such as a printer or the like. More particularly, the invention relates to image processing apparatus which has a coding (compressing) function of image data and inputs and outputs an image and to a method for realizing such an apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, an image processing apparatus called hybrid equipment such as copying apparatus or facsimile constructed by an image input apparatus such as a scanner or the like and an image output apparatus such as a printer or the like or a computer system having a copying apparatus and a facsimile as sole apparatuses has been put into practical use. In such an apparatus, it is necessary to efficiently process a very large amount of data in order to handle image data.
For this purpose, there is also an image processing apparatus for coding input image data by both software which is executed by using a CPU and coding/decoding (compressing/decompressing) hardware (CODEC: Coder-Decoder). In such conventional image processing apparatuses, however, since an image data storing area, the CODEC, and the CPU are connected to the same bus, a transfer ability of the bus becomes a bottleneck upon coding (compression) of the image data.
To solve the above problem, there is also a system such that a transfer ability is enhanced by using two buses. Even in the system having a plurality of buses, however, a construction of the bus is not flexible and in the case where a large amount of data is transferred or the like, the transfer ability is not sufficiently utilized.